Archives January 2016

Fan favourite Munenori Kawasaki will take off the Blue Jays uniform and become a Chicago Cubs. Photo by Matthew O'Mara.
Kawasaki joined the Blue Jays in 2013 and immediately became a favourite with the fans with his wacky antics and sense of humour; however, the player spent most of last season...

“When Marnie Was There” is up for an academy award for best animated film, but will face stiff competition. Photo courtesy: WMC
This is the fifth time a Studio Ghibli film has been nominated in the category following The Wind Rises and The Tale of Princess Kaguya in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
This...

Setsuko Thurlow has spent her life recounting her first-hand experiences in Hiroshima to educate the public on the dangers of nuclear weapons. Photo by: Luke Galati
Thurlow has long shared her first-hand experiences in Hiroshima and has become an international spokesperson in raising awareness of the human...

Most Japanese workers won't leave their workplace for vacation even when they have every right to do so. Photo courtesy: Pixabay
Japan has the highest rate among 26 countries including Canada, the United States, and England of workers who actively do not take vacation time. The second highest country...

Participants of the 'Against the Current' production at the Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall on Nov. 6, 2015 in Vancouver, BC. Photo by: Kayla Isomura
In British Columbia, salmon are an integral resource and their perseverance is what inspired a taiko performance at the Heart of the City...

Pac-Man, one of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time, will be taking on a much different style of video game for a new generation of player. Photo courtesy: Moff Band
Bandai Namco, an arcade, mobile, and home video game developed based in Japan, stated in a press release that Pac-Man...

Kenta Maeda, one of the best pitchers in Japan, is coming soon to North America. Photo courtesy: Wikimedia
Maeda's salary will total $25 million over his eight year contract. It’s a low price for a pitcher of his calibre and a far cry from the salary of pitchers like former Blue Jay David Price...

The seventh row of the periodic table of the elements has been completed with the discovery of element 113 and Japanese scientists at RIKEN are being credited for their work. Image courtesy: Riken
Project leader Kosuke Morita said in a statement that he is deeply moved that new element discovered...

Students at the Boston Career Forum wait for the venue to opening on the first day. Photo by: Riku Kawahara
The only requirement in attending is that you are fluent enough in both Japanese and English to work, so there are always a few people there who are not Japanese but seeking employment in the country.
However,...

Jumpei Yasuda, a Japanese freelance journalist, has been missing since July last year with his last location reportedly in Syria, but his whereabouts are unknown at this time. Photo courtesy: Pixabay
The news release was based on information the NGO received in late December. It stated that...